Crystal Reports Distribution

I have some Crystal Report files that are linked to Microsoft SQL Server... I can open them fine on any computer that has Crystal Reports installed , but on other computers that I install the VB program on that uses the report, I get an error when trying to open the report. The error states that pdssql.dll is not found.. Now I figure the reason why the report doesn't work on computers that don't have Crystal reports installed is that they don't have the Crystal reports ODBC drivers that are necessary for linking to SQL... the only thing I want to know is how I can distribute the necessary files with my application and have them setup correctly as drivers in the computers that need them.

Can anyone help ?

[edwardo]

Hi...

If you are using VB6 then there is a file called Mdac_typ.exe which contains all the ODBS drivers needed for the use of VB6. I had a similar problam with the ADO control and after a little research I found out that the Mdac_typ.exe file was damaged...
The thing is with the VB6 that when you install it, it takes these drivers not from the file I specified here but from another place, BUT when you package your program it takes the drivers it needs from the Mdac_typ.exe file.

Hope it'll help...

Edy

[Buzby]

Crystal Reports is bloody awkward for distribution files - you can check out the help file shipped with the application that tells you all about which files you need - but by trial and error I've determined you need these to connect to SQL Server (via ODBC);

CRBAS13.DLL CRFLT13.DLL CRSYB13.DLL
CRUTL13.DLL CRYSTL32.OCX DBNMPNTW.DLL
IMPLODE.DLL LFBMP60N.DLL LFCMP60N.DLL
LFEPS60N.DLL LFFAX60N.DLL LFMAC60N.DLL
LFMSP60N.DLL LFPCT60N.DLL LFPCX60N.DLL
LFPNG60N.DLL LFPSD60N.DLL LFTGA60N.DLL
LFTIF60N.DLL LFWMF60N.DLL LFWPG60N.DLL
MFCANS32.DLL NTWDBLIB.DLL OLEPRO32.DLL
P2SSQL.DLL QECR.LIC SQLSRV32.DLL
U2DAPP.DLL U2DDISK.DLL U2DMAPI.DLL
U2DNOTES.DLL U2DPOST.DLL U2DVIM.DLL
U2FCR.DLL U2FDIF.DLL U2FHTML.DLL
U2FODBC.DLL U2FRDEF.DLL U2FREC.DLL
U2FRTF.DLL U2FSEPV.DLL U2FTEXT.DLL
U2FWKS.DLL U2FWORDW.DLL U2FXLS.DLL

You can remove most of the LF* and U2* ones if the user never wants to export reports etc. When you add these to the setup wizard you will find that it has already added some of them automatically - just ignore the errors and add the rest.
Many of our finest soldiers died to get this information. Please treat it with respect..!

[Edited by Buzby on 04-20-2000 at 09:33 AM]